


A Single Wish Is Enough

by Michelle_A_Emerlind



Category: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-22
Updated: 2013-09-22
Packaged: 2017-12-27 08:35:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/976703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Michelle_A_Emerlind/pseuds/Michelle_A_Emerlind
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Post-Haste's birthday and all he wants is one birthday wish.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Single Wish Is Enough

**Author's Note:**

  * For [skarlatha](https://archiveofourown.org/users/skarlatha/gifts).



> This is a gift fic for Laura Sattersby, who watched this episode and was horrified at how the ponies treated old Posty. So this is a fix-it-fic for her! 
> 
> The barn scene is an actual scene in The Last Roundup (2x14). Post Haste appears for the first time in the series at time marker 5:54 in this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt3SEcbX2WM
> 
> All of the ponies used in this fic (with the exceptions of Fair Voice, Hard Helmet, and Stitch Witch) are actually in the show and you can look them up here: http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_ponies. I based the group of six stallions off the Mane Six, so Post Haste, Caramel, Written Script, Ponet, Thunderlane, and Sunburst each have a corresponding Mane Six member (guess which is which).

Post Haste wakes up and instantly jumps out of bed, a smile on his face. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and it’s his birthday! He trots in place for a minute and gives out a loud whinny before grabbing his mail jacket, hat, and mailbag. What a fine morning to give ponies good news!

On his way outside, he stops by the kitchen. His mom, Fair Voice, is making breakfast. Her spotlight cutie mark is almost covered up by her apron. She smiles. “Good morning, Post Haste.”

“Good morning, Mom!” He says and then he waits. He knows that every year his mom is the first to wish him a happy birthday and he always loves to give her that opportunity. He smiles. She smiles. He waits. She smiles again, a little more unsure.

“Um…” He says and swishes his tail a little.

“Aren’t you almost late for work?” She says and he deflates a little.

“Um...yes. I guess.” He waits for another minute, but she doesn’t say anything else. He furrows his brow in confusion. But oh well. Maybe his mother just doesn’t want him to be presumptuous. Maybe this is a lesson in humility. He shouldn’t be greedy for birthday wishes! He smiles. Of course! He’ll be the perfect gentlepony. He grabs his mailbag. “Goodbye, Mom!” He says and trots into the living room.

 ***

His father, Hard Helmet is there, getting ready for his day at work, repairing the town hall. “Good morning, Dad!” Post Haste says and sets down his mailbag.

“Good morning, son,” Hard Helmet responds. “Have you seen my hammer?”

“Your hammer?”

“Yes. My hammer. I always need my hammer on important days.”

Post Haste beams. “I think it was under the couch!”

“OH!” His dad leans down and grabs it in his mouth, smiles, and heads for the door. Post Haste falters.

“So today is a special day?” He asks.

“Oh yes,” his father mumbles around his hammer. “It’s not everyday you get to work with the Mayor of Ponyville!” And then he trots out. Post Haste bites his lip a little, but then shakes it off, grabs his mailbag and trots outside.

*** 

Outside, he bumps into his sister, Stitch Witch, and her friend Dr. Hooves. “Hi, guys!” He says and sets down his mailbag.

“Ugggg,” Stitch Witch says and swishes her mane. “Brothers.”

Dr. Hooves, though, smiles and nods at Post Haste. “Hello there, Post Haste. How is the mail today?”

“I’m just starting!” he says and nudges his mailbag. “But it’s a glorious morning, don’t you think?”

“Oh, yes,” Dr. Hooves says. “It’s a great day to celebrate.”

“Celebrate?” Post Haste perks up his ears.

“Oh yeah,” Stitch Witch says, “Dr. Hooves is getting a medal this afternoon. REMEMBER?”

“Oh!” Post Haste says and is instantly apologetic. “I’m sorry that I didn’t say anything before! Congratulations, Dr. Hooves! We’re all so happy for you!”

Dr. Hooves beams and Stitch Witch smiles up at him. They walk off together. Post Haste sighs, picks up his mailbag, and trots off into town.

***

Throughout the morning, Post Haste is optimistic. He stops by Sugarcube Corner and give the Cakes their mail. They are baking, but there is nothing special for him. He goes by town hall, says “hi” to his father and his workers and gives Madam Mayor her letters. She thanks him, but that’s it. Over at Quills and Sofas, Davenport is happy to receive orders for sofas (and some quills), but he doesn’t say anything else. Post Haste goes to the schoolhouse, hospital, train station, the marketplace, the costume shop, the bookshop, the bowling alley, the joke shop, the cafe, the hardware store, the jewelry store, the arcade machines, even Mr. Breezy’s fan shop. Everyone is happy to get mail, but no pony is happy that it’s his birthday. Or at least, no pony says anything. Dejected, Post Haste picks up his mailbag and trots off to the Sweet Apple Acres.

*** 

By the time Post Haste arrives at Sweet Apple Acres, he’s in better spirits. He is sure that his mother has spread the word that this should be a lesson, that he shouldn’t be hunting for birthday wishes. A humble pony is a good pony. A humble pony is a gentlepony and Post Haste is nice and gentle. He wants to be good, so he picks himself back up and tries to enjoy the sunny day. He arrives at the barn and knocks on the barn door, then walks inside.

“SURPRISE!” Ponies jump out from everywhere! He sees Big Macintosh, Granny Smith, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Twilight--everyone! After a second, Pinkie Pie even pops up, saying “SURPRISE!” after everyone else.

Post Haste grin is super wide. “Wow! This is the best surprise ever! How did you know it was my birthday?” He knew that the ponies in Ponyville were kind and nice. And they remembered--they knew--that today was his special day. He is giddy.

Twilight Sparkle pops out the barn door next to him and looks at the letter he has addressed to the farm. She takes it from him and--slams the door! Post Haste stands there a second in shock and then he very sadly paws the ground. Then Pinkie Pie opens the door and his heart flutters once more. She gives him a piece of cake and then...shuts the door again.

Post Haste sighs, picks up his empty mailbag and the cake and very slowly trots home.

***

The cake was good. Post Haste isn’t saying that the cake wasn’t a nice gesture. It was very kind of Pinkie Pie. But that still doesn’t stop him from being sad. He knows that he shouldn’t be hunting for compliments and birthday wishes, but he just wants one pony--just one pony!--to say happy birthday. He gets home and slowly goes upstairs. The house is dark. His father is still working and his mother is running errands. He climbs the stairs with a heavy hoof and when he gets to his room, he flings his mailbag to the corner. He doesn’t sit on his bed, just flops down on the floor and looks at the rug that looked a lot brighter this morning. The curtains are drawn and there is no sunshine. The birds are not singing and Post Haste is sad.

*** 

Post Haste lays on the floor for a good hour before he hears the doorbell ring. Still, he’s too tired and too sad to answer it. Whoever it is, he figures, will just go away. After a minute, he hears the door open and there are two sets of hooves. One of them stays downstairs. The other trots upstairs. He doesn’t bother to turn, but he recognizes the voice when it speaks.

“Hey, Post Haste!” Caramel says as he trots into the room, “Your mom let me in. Happy birthday! What are you doing on the floor?"

Post Haste perks his ears up and jumps up off the floor. “What did you say?” he asks.

“Um…” Caramel squints one eye and tries to remember. “I said..hey? Um...then...happy--"

Post Haste glomps him. “CARAMEL!”

“AH!” Caramel jumps. “Um…”

“YOU REMEMBERED MY BIRTHDAY!”

“Well, yeah,” Caramel says, “You’re my best friend. Of course I did.”

Post Haste could not be happier! Here the most forgetful pony in Equestria--the one who ALWAYS loses his grass seeds--managed to remember his birthday! Somepony cared about him!

“Hey, Posty! What’s wrong?”

“NOTHING!” Post Haste gallops around the room and then stops in front of Caramel and trots in place. “No pony has told me happy birthday all day and I’ve been waiting! And I thought maybe it was because I was supposed to be a gentlepony and not ask for such things, you know? But I wished for it! I’m sorry if that makes me a scoundrelpony, but I just wanted one pony to say happy birthday.”

“Oh!” Caramel says and swishes his tail. “NO PONY told you?”

“No pony,” Post Haste says and lays his ears flat. “But you did!” He perks his ears back up.

Caramel smiles. “Well, I know what we should do! Sugarcube Corner is having a free cookie tasting and they have honeysuckle. I know how you like honeysuckle cookies. Wanna get one for your birthday?”

“REALLY?” Post Haste says and trots in place again. “YES! Let’s! Oh, Caramel. What would I do without you?”

“Apparently stare at your rug.” They laugh together and trot off to Sugarcube Corner.

***

Post Haste believes Caramel when he says that Sugarcube Corner has a free tasting, but he also knows that Caramel sometimes mixes up dates. So he wonders, when they approach the dark and closed shop, if the tasting is tomorrow. He opens his mouth to say something, but before he can, Caramel trots inside. Post Haste swishes his tail. He knows that a gentlepony should never go into a closed shop uninvited, but he trusts his friend, so he trots forward.

As soon as he’s in, the room explodes into light and ponies jump out from everywhere. There’s Pinkie Pie, and Mr. and Mrs. Cake, Davenport from Quills and Sofas, even his mom and his dad. Everypony yells surprise and Caramel beams. But Post Haste just stands there. Everyone looks at him. He blinks.

“Um…” he says, “Whose party is it?” He look at Caramel.

Caramel laughs. “YOUR party, Post Haste! This is your surprise party!”

“What?” Post Haste says and looks at all the ponies. Then, in a lower voice, he addresses Caramel. “Are you sure? The last party I walked into, I got a door slammed in my face.”

Close by he hears apologetic chuckling and he sees Twilight Sparkle looking bashful. “Yeah…” she says, “sorry about that.”

“So...so…” he says, “This party really is for me!”

“Of course, dear,” his mother says from off to the side and then all the ponies join in.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, POST HASTE!"

Post Haste trots in place so hard he nearly breaks his hooves!

“But...I’ve never had a SURPRISE party before!” He says.

“Well, you can thank your friends for it,” his mother says and then the other four ponies that make up his and Caramel’s six pony group come forward.

"Thunderlane! Sunburst! Written Script! Ponet! THANK you. Thank you, guys!”

Sunburst jumps up and down. “It was MY idea, Posty! I thought you would LOVE it! And I love giving my friends happiness!”

“And I did the decorations,” Ponet says.

“And I arranged the DRAMA,” Written Scripts says, “...and the song we’ll be singing later. I did that too.”

“And I’m organizing the races and games we’re going to have later,” Thunderlane says.

“And I brought you here,” Caramel says, “Of course. Because I knew that you would trust me.”

Post Haste’s smile is huge and off the charts. “Thank you, guys!” He says and looks around to see Stitch Witch, Dr. Hooves, Applejack, the Mayor, indeed every pony! “Thank you for your friendship because you have made this pony’s birthday MAGIC!”


End file.
